Locomotive stoker



Feb. 6, 1934. E, A. TURNER 1,946,044

LOCOMOT IVE STOKER INENTO Feb. 6, 1934. E, A TURNER 1,946,044

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed June 5. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 3E. A. TURNER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Flled June 5, 1929 Feb. 6, 1934.

Feb. 6, 1934. E. A. TURNER 1,946,044

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed June, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @7 'l L z* j? gl 5 Za3 I Ra i E; E s@ 5 5 MOTOR l I l O Ia g@ 65 72 57 Moro R rNvNToR c,"wud/L Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES rArsNr OFFICE LOCOMOTIVE STKERApplication June 5, 1929. Serial No. 368,490

7 Claims.

My invention relates to mechanical stokers for the supply of fuel fromthe tender to the locomotive and the burning of the fuel in the firebox.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a stoker which willcarry the fuel from the tender to the rear of the locomotive firebox andfeed the fuel gradually forward in the reboX while it is first cokingand then burning and being reduced to ash.

Another object is the provision of a simplified highly eflicientmechanism for conveying the fuel from the tender to the locomotivenrebox, there the fuel to be spread laterally and uniformlyY across therear portion of the rebox only onto grates which function to move thefuel forward through the combustion chamber while being consumed.

A further and more specic object of my invention is to provide a fuelsupply system for feeding fuel from the tender to one or more spreaderplates disposed in the rebox backwall and spreading the fuel uniformlyacross the rear portion only of the rebox without the necessity ofemploying projecting means.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in thearrangement and combination of the parts as shown on the drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view of a locomotive and tenderprovided with stoking mechanism illustrating one embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same with parts in section;

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are views corresponding to Figs. 2 and 3, but illustratinga modification of the invention; v

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional transverse view on the irregular line 6 6of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a section in horizontal plane taken on the line '7 7 throughthe grate actuating mechanism of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8 8 of Fig. '7; and

Fig. 9 is a similar section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 7.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6the coa-l is fed forward from the tender 11 by conveyer screw 12 inconveyer 13 passing the coal into the tube 14 universally jointed at 15to the casing 16 supported by bracket 1'7 from the frame 18 of thelocomotive. The casing 16 is divided t0 feed the coal to the twodiverging upwardly inclined branch M conduits 19, 20 containing feedscrews 21, 22. A driving engine 23 has its rotary shaft coupled at 24 todrive worms 25, 26 and 27 meshing with the gears 28, 29 and 30 for theconveyer feed'screws 2l, 22 and 12 respectively. The gears 28 and-29 arekeyed directly on the shafts of screws 21 and 22 and gear 30 isconnected to drive screw 12 through rod 31 having a universal joint ateach end and connected through its rear universal joint to the usualdrive gears for the tender conveyer screw 12. When engine 23 is running,all of the feed screws l2, 21, 22 are continuously driven, the fuelbeing fed forward to casing 16 by screw 12 and dropped down between thelower ends of screws 21 and 22. The adjustable distributing vane 32 ismounted as shown in the casing 16 in position to control the feed offuel, guiding more or less to either conveyer 21, 22 and thus deliveringthe desired amount of coal fed to each side of the firebox. The vane 32may be set in adjusted position by the fireman by handle 32a.

The conveyers 21, 22 deliver the fuel to upper casings 33, 34 ofgenerally tubular form anged to t the openings 35, 36 in the backheadand at the lower portions of these openings are provided the plates orcoking shelves 37, 38protruding into the nrebox. Ribs or deflect'ors 39formed on these plates divert or spread the fuel as it movesvforward andthus give amore evenly distributed feed of the coal as it dropsoff thecoking shelves. From another aspect of the invention the plates 3'7, 38function as spreader plates to distribute the fuel uniformly across therear portion only of the rebox. Y

The grate receiving and burning the coked coal may be of any desiredconstruction adapted to provide for thefeeding of the coal forward as itis burned. In the specific example shown in the drawings the grate isdivided into parts, right and left, and each part comprises a series oftransversely pivoted grate sections, 50, the whole grate being slightlyinclined forward at an angle substantially the same as that of the usuallocomotive grate. The grate sections are pivotally supported bylongitudinal bars 51, alternate sections being tipped'together in oneset by links 52 and 52a connected to the arms 53 of the sections andmoved forward and rearward by the operating rod 54 and similarly theintermediate alternate sections 50 are tipped together in another set bylinks 55 and 55a yconnected to their arms 56 and moving forward andrearward by the operating rod 57. The operating rods 54 and 57 are movedalternately to tip first one set of sections and then the other and thusfeed the burning fuel forward step by step. Y

Any desired means may be provided for operating these rods 54 and 57 toalternately tip their respective sections. In the specific design shown,referring to Figures l, 7, 8 and 9, a shaft is revolved at asuitablerate of speed from the speed reducing worm and worm wheel 61 and 62, bythe driving engine 63. The gears 64 and 65, having a predeterminednumber of teeth around portions of their periphery only, are keyed tothe shaft 60 and held thereon by suitable fastening means such asthreaded nuts 66 and 66a. In mesh with the gears 64 and 65 are thepinions 67 and 68 mounted on the shafts 69 and 70, respectively, theseshafts rotating in the members 71 and 71a of the gear-boxA casing 72,crank arms 73 and 74 having crank pins at the ends thereof are fastenedrespectively to the shafts 69 and 70, and freely mounted on the crankpins are the operating rods 54 and 57. 'The several units of the tippingmechanism are so assembled that when the gears 64 and 65 are in therelative positions shown, in Figures 8 and 9, the grateV sections 50controlled by the operating rod 57 are in their maximum tippingposition, while the sections 50 controlled by rod 54 are level with thebars 51. As the gear 64 revolves it drives the pinion 67 thereby turningshaft 69 which rotates the crank arm 73. This Varm 73 then moves rod 57forwardly so that the sections 50 linked toit gradually approach thelevelv of the plane ofthe fire grate bars. At the same time gear isrevolving but not having its teeth engaging with the pinion 68, thesections 50 linked to rod 54 remain level with'the bars 51. As the teethof gear 64 come out of mesh with pinion 67, the teeth of gear 65 meshwith pinion 68, and, when the teeth of gear 65 come out of mesh withpinion 68, the teethl of gear 64 mesh with pinion 67. This periodicalternating engaging and nonengaging of the gears and pinions thusprovides thedesired alternate tipping of the grate sections. It shouldbe understood that means for operating the grate sections of each sideof the firebox independent of each other by employing independentlyactuating operating rods may be substituted for the above described formif found preferable. y Y

While on the coking shelves the coal is subjected to the heat oftherebed and the lighter volatiles are driven off and burned, air streamsfor this combustion of the lighter volatiles being provided through theadjustable openings 40 of casings 33, 34 above and through theperforated back plate 41 below. As the coal moves to the edges of theshelves and drops down at the rear of the firebed on the grate it issubject to higher heat and heavier volatiles are driven off and burnedat the rear of the reboX to further complete the coking off the coalbefore it reaches the grate.

At the front end of each part of the grate is a drop plate on which thenal burning of coal and accumulation of ash takes place. This plate ispivoted at 8l. and is dropped by forward movement of the rod 82 to dumpthe final ashes into the ash pit.

By control of the driving engine 23 the fireman can supply fuel whendesired and regulate the rate at which the fuel is fed and by vane 32 hecan control the relative amounts passing to the two sides of thefirebox. He observes the condition of the fire through the centralobservation and hand ring door 85 in the back leg 86 of the boiler andthen manipulates his controls to feed the coal in proper rate and amounton to the shelves 37, 38. During the progress of the coal over theseshelves or while it is retained there it is subjected to the heat of thefire and dried and coked thereby and air is supplied through opening 4l)above and the perforations in plate 41 below to burn the volatile gasespassing off. These streams of air pass forward into the re chamber andthen upward along the back leg and the coal on the shelves while cokingthus has its volatiles efficiently burned without tendency toy carryaway unconsumed particles in the draft to the stack.

The movement of the fuel through the iirebox is independent of itsdelivery to the rebox. The volume of fuel delivered to the freboxdepends upon the speed of the engine 23 and its associated drivingmechanism whereas the movement of the fuel through the fireboX is indirect proportion to the movement of the grate sections 50 operable fromthe moto-r 63 which as, clearly Vshown by the drawings, is operatedindependently of the driving engine 23.

The coal at least partially coked drops from the shelves 37. 38 and isdistributed across substantially the entire width of the rear of thefireboX forming a pile on and in front of the perforated back plate 41.The feeding of the coal across the coking shelves and the spreading ofthe coal thereon moves and stirs it so as to keep it broken and presentchanging portions to the direct heat of the nre. The dropping of thecoal continues this stirring action and the coking is continued at therear of the rebox While air is supplied through the back plate 41 toburn the heavier volatiles now being driven off. These currents ofburning gases pass upward along the rear wall of the rebox mingling withthe burning gases of the lighter volatiles and the air streams from theopenings 40 so that across the entire width of the rear portion of there chamber are the rising burning gases from the coking of the coal.

This coking coal dropped from the shelves 37, 38 is in direct Contactwith the burning firebed itself, and the whole mass is freely burning inthe air streams passing upward through the grates. As the alternategrate sections are oscil- Iated the iirebed is broken up and moved stepby step forward, the fireman watching and regulating the progress andburning of thefuel to give the best effect yon each side and over theentire rebed.

The air passing through the forward portions of the grates is deflectedbackward by the baie or arch 87 so that as the burning coal progressesforward the hot burning gases pass backward and mingle with the burningvolatiles at the rear portion of the fire chamber. At no point in thefeeding, coking and burning of the coal is there any excessive draftingor projection of the finer particles into rapidly rising currents ofgases likely to carry them unconsumed out through the stack. The coal ispushed and stirred and kept in broken up condition throughout its entiretravel through the iirebox and until it is reduced to nal ash but at notime is this movement excessive or is there any feeding of green coal ina manner to cause the lighter particles to be separated and carried inthe air streams Without burning.

The result is not only a very efficient and easily controlled burning ofall of the consumable constituents of the coal but also avoidance ofstack loss which has been a particularly troublesome problem withlocomotive fires. Such stack loss, avoided in the stoker of thisinvention, not only means loss of a considerable portion of the fuel butthe presence in the stack discharge of the soot and cinders so commonand so objectionable on railway trains.

The stoking means of this invention thus makes the burning of the fuelby the locomotive more efficient and cleaner and the structural parts ofthe stoker are readily applied to existing types of locomotives. Thefeed from the tender is substantially entirely beneath the cab deckleaving ample space for the control and operation of the grate sectionsand at the same time giving a positive feed of the fuel to each side ofthe fire as desired. This division of the fuel takes place in the casing16 specially formed to provide the universal end connection 15 and thechamber beyond this wherein the coal is divided for the feeds to therespective sides of the fire. This casing 16 also carries the casings90, 91,V 92 for the gears 28, 29 and 30, and the worm drives for thesegears,

As indicated in Fig. 6 a sliding clutch 93 rotating with worm 26 may bemoved by an actuator 94 to engage with or disengage from the cooperatingteeth 95 of the worm 27, thus pers mitting the branch screws to bedriven indepen dently of the main feed screw 12 and is particu` larlyuseful in case of any tendency of the fuel to pack and join in thecasing 16. The contin uation of the branch screws without the main screwwill relieve any such tendency and loosen up the fuel so that the feedfrom the main screw will meet with no resistance.

Where the conditions of installation and character of fuel permit it thebranch screws 2l, 22 may be omitted and the coal forced up through thebranch conduits by the pressure of the main feed as indicated, forinstance, in Figs. 4 and 5. Here the main conveyer 101 from the tenderhas the fuel fed through it by screw 102 and is connected by universaljoint 103 to the casing 104 on the locomotive which casing is dividedinto branches leading to tubes 105, 106 and has the dividing vane 107 tocontrol the amount of coal passing to each branch. At the openings intothe rebox the conveyer tubes 105, 106 lead into casings 108, 109 similarto casings 33, 34 so that the coal forced into the Y elbow casing 104divides therein and passes up through the branch conduits and casingsand onto the coking shelves 37, 38.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the currents of air passing through windows 40may be directed downward by the deectors 110 causing the entering air topass close to the coking coal and mingle with the volatile gases fromthe coal so that these light volatiles and air mix thoroughly and burntogether in currents ascending along the rear wall of the rebox.

In both the feeding means of Figs. 1 to 3 and Figs. 4 and 5 the combinedcross sectional areas of the branch conduits are greater than the crosssectional area of the main conveyer so that the fuel stream is widenedas it branches into the conveyers passing upward to the redoor openingsand contraction of the fuel stream is avoided at the portion of the feedwhere jamming is most likely to occur.

The resulting smooth unobstructed feeding of the coal to the fireboxavoids pulverizing of the coal and minimizes the amount of lineparticles or dust in the fuel as it reaches the rebox and this combinedwith the proper coking of the green coal and the progressive feed of therebed by the movement of the sectional grates attains a most efficientand clean burning of the fuel and avoidance of the tendency towardexcessive stack loss, so objectionable in locomotive stoking.

I claim: Y

l. Thecombination with a locomotive and a tender, the locomotive havinga rebox with a back leg provided with a plurality of openings, of astoking means therefor comprising means for feeding fuel forward fromthe tender to and for forcing the same through the plurality of openingsin the back leg of the locomotive firebox, means at the rear of thelocomotive firebox supporting the fuel above the re level for coking thesame, said last named means being provided with deectors for spreadingthe fuel laterally across substantially the entire rear portion only ofthe rebox, means for supplying air to burn the volatile gases given olfduring said coking, and separate means for progressively moving saidcoked fuel forward from the rear to the front of the rebed in saidfirebox and supplying air to burn it to ash during said movement, saidmeans for feeding fuel from the tender to the openings in the back legof the locomotive frebox constituting the sole means for advancing thefuel over the means at the rear of the llocomotive firebox supportingthe fuel above the re level for coking the same.

2. The combination with a locomotive and a tender, the locomotive havinga rebox with a back leg provided with a plurality of openings, of astoking means therefor comprising means for feeding Vfuel forward fromthe tender to the locomotive firebox comprising a main conveyer, abranched casing dividing the fuel, and branch conveyers leading the fuelto the openings in the back leg of the locomotive boiler, means at therear of said rebox supporting the fuel above the re level for coking thesame, said last named means being provided with deflectors for spreadingthe fuel laterally across substantially the entire rear portion only ofthe firebox, means for supplying air to burn the volatile gases givenoif during said coking, and separate means for progressively moving saidcoked fuel forward from the rear to the front of the rebed in said reboxand supplying air to burn it to ash during said movement, said means forfeeding fuel from the conveyer to the locomotive rebox constituting thesole means for advancing the fuel over the means at the rear of saidrebox supporting the fuel above the fire level for coking the same.

3. The combination with a locomotive and a tender, the locomotive havinga i'lrebox with a back leg provided with openings, of a stoking meanstherefor comprising means'for feeding fuel forward from the tender tothe locomotive firebox including a main conveyer, a branch casing havingadjustable means dividing the fuel, and branch conveyers leading thefuel to the openings in the back leg of the locomotive firebox at aheight above the normal level of the re, means at the rear of said reboxsupporting the fuel above the re level for coking the same, comprisingshelves in said openings having deecting means adapted to deliver thefuel across substantially the full width of the rear portion only of therebox, means supplying air to burn the volatile gases given off duringsaid coking, and a plurality of separate grates for progresopenings inthe rear wall of the locomotive fire.-v

box, said openings disposed at a height above the normal level of there, means at the rear of said rebox supporting the fuel above the relevel for coking the same, comprising shelves mounted in said openings,said shelves being provided with deflectors for spreading the fuellaterally across substantially the entire rear portion only of theiirebox, means for supplying air above and below said shelves 4to burnthe volatile gases given off during said coking, the burning gasesrising substantially vertically along the rear wall of said rebox, gratemeans for progressively moving the coked fuel forward from the rear tothe front'of the rebed in said iirebox and supplying air to burn it toash during said movement, and defiecting means for carrying the hot aircurrents rising from said rebedbackward toward the air currents burningsaid volatile gases. 5. In combination, a locomotive and a tender, thelocomotive having a rebox with an upstanding backwall, a grate in saidfirebox comprising means for progressively advancing the fuel, aplurality of openings in said backwall at a height above the normal'level of the rebed maintained on said grate, a perforated plateextending across the rear of the rebox and inclined downwardly andforwardly from the backwall to said grate, a fuel spreader member ineach of said openings arranged to permit fuel passing thereover to beuniformly spread across the rear portion only of the rebox upon saidgrate and upon said perforated plate, mechanical means for deliveringfuel from the tender to each of said members comprising a singletransferring conveyer extending from the tender to said locomotive, saidmeans forcing the fuel over the spreader member and a plurality offeeding conduits receiving from said transfer conveyer, each feedingconduit delivering to a spreader member in one of said openings.

6. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox with an upstandingbackwall, a progressive feed grate in said iirebox, a pair of openingsin said backwall at a height above the normal level of the rebedmaintained on said grate, a perforated plate extending entirely acrossthe rear of the frebox and inclined downwardly and forwardly from thebackwall at a point adjacent the lower marginal edges of said openingsto said grate, a fuel spreader member in each of said openings arrangedto permit fuel passing thereover to be uniformly spread across the rearportion only of the rebox and upon. said perforated plate, mechanicalmeans for delivering fuel to each of said members, and said gratearranged to advance the fuel from the perforated plate to the front ofthe rebox, the fuel first coking as it passes over the spreader members,then passing by gravity to the perforated plate where it is subjected toa supply of secondary air to assist in consuming the volatile gasespassed off during the coking process, and the fuel then being advanced,the rebed broken up, and the fuel consumed to ash in its travel on thegrate to the front of the reboX.

7. In combination, a locomotive having a firebox. with an upstandingbackwall, a progressive feed grate in saidrebox, a pair of openings insaid backwall at a height above the normal level of the rebed maintainedon said grate, a perforated plate extending entirely across the rear ofthe rebox and inclined downwardly and forwardly from the backwall and ata point adjacent the lower marginal edges of said -openings to saidgrate, a fuel spreader plate in each of said openings arranged to permitfuel passing thereover to be uniformly spread across the rear portiononly of the rebox and upon said perforated plate, mechanical means fordelivering fuel to each of said spreader plates, said means forcing thefuel over the spreader plates from which it drops by gravity upon saidperforated plate, and said grate arranged to advance the fuel from theperforated plate to the front of the rebox.

EDWIN ARCHER TURNER.

